A remarkable author born on November 23, 1980, Ishmael Beah, a former Sierra Leonean child soldier faced many hurtful moments in his life. As a child he witnessed the murders of his very own people which taunts him day after day because he was responsible for some of their murders. After being rehabilitated and living with his uncle in Freetown, another war broke out in Freetown and it was too much for Ishmael. He made his escape to America where he became a UNICEF representative. He put all these memories in a book that touched the hearts of many called, "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier." Today, he is still a representative for UNICEF and he spends his time speaking at conferences and visiting children in other countries helping them rehabilitate from war. Growing Up
-Ishmael Beah was born in the small nation of Sierra Leone in West Africa-Used to listen to Regge and Rap Music (This was his favorite artist as a kid)
-His parents and 2 brothers were killed
-In 1991, during the civil war
-At age 13 he ran away from the rebels
-He was taken by the government
-He was going to be killed if he didnt agreed on being a soldier
-The Sierra Leone Civil war lasted from 1991-2002 Life In the War
Eventually, Ishmael is conscripted as a soldier by the army and he becomes the very thing he feared a killing machine capable of horrible violence. The army becomes his family and he is brainwashed into believing that each rebel death may avenge his own family's slaughter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kEL_LRBSqk
~"In the morning I would feel one of the staff members wrap a blanket around me saying, " This isn't your fault, you know. It really isn't. You'll get through this." He would then pull me up and walk me back to the hall."(pg.151)
I feel that Ishmael wrote this part for a reason because he does feel responsible for the deaths and killings of his own people, and that this is something that he would never get through.
~"It hadn't crossed their minds that a change of environment, wouldn't immediately make us normal boys: we were dangerous, and brainwashed to kill."(Pg.135)
This clearly explains how Ishmael knew that he would never become normal again once he became a child soldier he will always be a child soldier and those painful thoughts would be nothing but a memory.
~" We had been fighting for over two years, and killing had become a daily activity.I felt no pity for anyone.My childhood had been gone without my knowing,and it seemed as if my heart had been frozen." (pg.126) Beah cleary states that he killed so much in war that Ishmael has no more love for anyone, and lost his childhood without realizing it. In my opinion in Maslow Heirarchy he lost Physiological,Safety,Belongingness and Self-esteem needs.
In this video, Ishmael explains his life in the war. He explains how it effected him mentally and emotionally. He also explains the drugs, the commanders, and the very small details from the war that he still remembers today.
Life After War
-Went to a Rehabilitation Center
-Moved to Freetown with his Uncle
-War broke out in Freetown
- Moved to New York City
-Laura Simms adopted him as her son
-Attended United Nations International School in Manhattan
-Attended Oberlin College and graduated in 2004 with a degree in Politics
-While at Oberlin, pursued advocacy work against the abuse of children in wartime.
-Spoke at the UN and met with leaders including Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela.
Where is Beah Today?
Beah continues his advocacy to help change the course for the thousands of children still trapped in wars. He is a member of the Human Rights Watch Children’s Rights Division Advisory Committee and has testified before the United States Congress. In 2008, he co-founded the Network of Young People Affected by War (NYPAW) with a mission to raise awareness of the plight of children in conflict zones, advocate for an end to hostilities and provide role models for children who are currently struggling to recover from war.
Uncief UNICEF is an organization that helps children to make them feel safe and protected, however their organization save lives. In 1996, the UNICEF rescued Beah and the other child soldiers held by the government. He was put under the care of a UNICEF rehabilitation center where they were taught to reenter the civilian world. UNICEF is an agency devoted (United nations) to the welfare of children and cooperates with the World Health Organization in immunization programs.
~In the video UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War Ishmael Beah discusses why it's important to provide practical options for children at risk of being recruited into armed conflict.
Ishmael Beah
By: Jazzlyn and Ashley
A remarkable author born on November 23, 1980, Ishmael Beah, a former Sierra Leonean child soldier faced many hurtful moments in his life. As a child he witnessed the murders of his very own people which taunts him day after day because he was responsible for some of their murders. After being rehabilitated and living with his uncle in Freetown, another war broke out in Freetown and it was too much for Ishmael. He made his escape to America where he became a UNICEF representative. He put all these memories in a book that touched the hearts of many called, "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier." Today, he is still a representative for UNICEF and he spends his time speaking at conferences and visiting children in other countries helping them rehabilitate from war.
Growing Up
-Ishmael Beah was born in the small nation of Sierra Leone in West Africa-Used to listen to Regge and Rap Music
(This was his favorite artist as a kid)
-His parents and 2 brothers were killed
-In 1991, during the civil war
-At age 13 he ran away from the rebels
-He was taken by the government
-He was going to be killed if he didnt agreed on being a soldier
-The Sierra Leone Civil war lasted from 1991-2002
Life In the War
Eventually, Ishmael is conscripted as a soldier by the army and he becomes the very thing he feared a killing machine capable of horrible violence. The army becomes his family and he is brainwashed into believing that each rebel death may avenge his own family's slaughter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kEL_LRBSqk
~"In the morning I would feel one of the staff members wrap a blanket around me saying, " This isn't your fault, you know. It really isn't. You'll get through this." He would then pull me up and walk me back to the hall."(pg.151)
I feel that Ishmael wrote this part for a reason because he does feel responsible for the deaths and killings of his own people, and that this is something that he would never get through.
~"It hadn't crossed their minds that a change of environment, wouldn't immediately make us normal boys: we were dangerous, and brainwashed to kill."(Pg.135)
This clearly explains how Ishmael knew that he would never become normal again once he became a child soldier he will always be a child soldier and those painful thoughts would be nothing but a memory.
~" We had been fighting for over two years, and killing had become a daily activity.I felt no pity for anyone.My childhood had been gone without my knowing,and it seemed as if my heart had been frozen." (pg.126)
Beah cleary states that he killed so much in war that Ishmael has no more love for anyone, and lost his childhood without realizing it. In my opinion in Maslow Heirarchy he lost Physiological,Safety,Belongingness and Self-esteem needs.
In this video, Ishmael explains his life in the war. He explains how it effected him mentally and emotionally. He also explains the drugs, the commanders, and the very small details from the war that he still remembers today.
Life After War
-Went to a Rehabilitation Center
-Moved to Freetown with his Uncle
-War broke out in Freetown
- Moved to New York City
-Laura Simms adopted him as her son
-Attended United Nations International School in Manhattan
-Attended Oberlin College and graduated in 2004 with a degree in Politics
-While at Oberlin, pursued advocacy work against the abuse of children in wartime.
-Spoke at the UN and met with leaders including Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela.
Where is Beah Today?
Beah continues his advocacy to help change the course for the thousands of children still trapped in wars. He is a member of the Human Rights Watch Children’s Rights Division Advisory Committee and has testified before the United States Congress. In 2008, he co-founded the Network of Young People Affected by War (NYPAW) with a mission to raise awareness of the plight of children in conflict zones, advocate for an end to hostilities and provide role models for children who are currently struggling to recover from war.
Uncief
UNICEF is an organization that helps children to make them feel safe and protected, however their organization save lives. In 1996, the UNICEF rescued Beah and the other child soldiers held by the government. He was put under the care of a UNICEF rehabilitation center where they were taught to reenter the civilian world. UNICEF is an agency devoted (United nations) to the welfare of children and cooperates with the World Health Organization in immunization programs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnUUs3CcDzA
~In the video UNICEF Advocate for Children Affected by War Ishmael Beah discusses why it's important to provide practical options for children at risk of being recruited into armed conflict.
Cited Work:
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2008/03/the_fog_of_memoir.html
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/08/world/africa/ishmael-beah-child-soldier
http://www.caaspeakers.com/ishmael-beah/bio
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ishmaelbeah
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishmael_Beah